186-190

*Chapter 186: Immortality and Hashirama Cells*

“Okay.”

Konan never objected to Nagato’s orders.

But after the matter was discussed, she didn’t immediately take action, and Nagato knew she had something more to say.

“Is there something else?”

“I conducted an experiment this time.”

“An experiment? What kind of experiment?”

Nagato didn’t immediately grasp Konan’s meaning.

“I injured someone’s leg with an explosive tag, causing a wound similar to yours. Then, I had Kimimaro heal them. In less than half an hour, he had fully recovered.”

Hearing this, Nagato’s hands clenched the white bedsheet tightly.

“I’ve told you, I don’t want anyone to heal my legs! Why are you doing something so pointless?”

Nagato never got angry with Konan, but this time, there was a noticeable trace of irritation in his voice.

“Stop torturing yourself. If Yahiko were still alive, he’d want to see you stand up again.”

Since Nagato became Pain, Konan’s emotions had rarely been this stirred.

She knew that Nagato’s refusal to heal his legs was partly because it was difficult and partly because of his guilt toward Yahiko.

He saw his crippled legs as punishment for killing Yahiko.

It made him feel slightly better inside.

Nagato was stunned by her words.

Would Yahiko want him to stand up again?

The answer was undoubtedly yes.

But could Nagato forgive himself?

The opportunity to heal was right in front of him, yet he still hesitated.

His gaze shifted to the nearby Deva Path Pain.

That familiar face would no longer show the bright smile it once had.

The cold expression was Deva Path Pain, not Yahiko.

That warmth would never return.

“Konan, let me be alone for a while.”

Nagato didn’t agree or refuse; he just wanted to calm down.

“Nagato, it’s not just Yahiko; I also want to see you stand up again.”

Konan said her piece and then turned to leave.

Nagato sat frozen on the bed, staring at his legs that had been crippled for many years.

“Stand up again?”

He clenched his fists, looking at the Deva Path Pain as if time had stopped.

Inside the cave, Kimimaro continued his research.

This time, his research subject was Hidan’s flesh and blood.

Having studied under Orochimaru, such experiments were second nature to him.

While researching Hidan’s flesh, he also brought out the Hashirama cells he had been studying halfway.

Yes, these were the Hashirama cells obtained from Danzo’s severed arm.

When it comes to regenerative abilities, the two are equally exceptional.

Hidan’s immortality does have its limits.

His body cannot regenerate all injuries.

For example, when Asuma severed his head, it was sewn back on with Kakuzu’s Earth Grudge Fear, and it showed no signs of self-healing afterward.

Similarly, a small piece of his ear sliced off by Asuma’s shuriken never grew back.

This indicates that although Hidan’s immortality provides self-healing, it is not unlimited.

Or rather, his immortality is more focused on internal organs.

“My Shikotsumyaku can produce endless bones, and the fusion technique I’m developing with Earth Grudge Fear and thread stitching is infinite vitality for blood vessels.

“If I can fuse Hashirama cells and Hidan’s cells, I should be able to obtain infinitely regenerating flesh and organs.

“With that, my pursuit of immortality could be more than halfway complete.”

Thinking of this, Kimimaro felt a rush of excitement.

He felt he was one step closer to achieving immortality.

Of course, this was no small feat, and it wasn’t something that could be accomplished overnight.

Just the fusion of Earth Grudge Fear and thread stitching had taken him more than half a year to nearly complete.

This research might take another year or two to finish.

Outside the cave.

Kakuzu was bored, counting money, while Hidan leaned lazily against a tree.

“Hey, you’ve been counting for half a day, at least a hundred times over. Haven’t you got it right yet?”

Bored, Hidan tried to strike up a conversation with Kakuzu.

“Leave me alone. Or I’ll kill you.”

“You’re no fun. What’s Kimimaro doing in the cave? He’s been in there for half a day.”

Kakuzu didn’t respond further.

Hidan grew even more bored.

Fortunately, at that moment, Kimimaro emerged from the cave.

“You’re finally out. Are we finally going to do something? It’s been days since we’ve offered a sacrifice to Lord Jashin; he won’t be happy.”

Hidan was so bored that he just wanted to kill someone; he didn’t have Kimimaro’s patience.

“No rush, Konan-senpai should be back soon.”

As soon as Kimimaro finished speaking, countless paper sheets descended from the sky, forming Konan’s figure.

“Pain has issued new orders. Hidan, you’ll be teaming up with Kakuzu. Kimimaro, you’ll take Sasori’s place.”

“What? I have to team up with that ugly old man?”

Hidan protested.

Kakuzu was also slightly surprised.

He had enjoyed working with Kimimaro, so why were they suddenly being split up?

“Pain’s orders are non-negotiable.”

“Has Sasori died? And now this brat has to fill in for him?”

Kakuzu asked.

“He’s handling personal matters and doesn’t have time for Akatsuki missions right now. Kimimaro will team up with Deidara as a temporary measure.”

Konan explained, looking at Kimimaro.

“Let’s go.”

Kimimaro nodded slightly in agreement.

He had no objections; this was all within his expectations.

“Kakuzu-senpai, it looks like we’ll be apart for a while. Get along with Hidan-san; I think you’ll get along well.”

“Hmph, you’d better not die too quickly. Once I kill this guy, you should be back. Then, I’ll kill you. None of my teammates have escaped their fate of being killed by me, and you won’t be an exception.”

After spending more than half a year together, Kakuzu felt quite reluctant to part with Kimimaro.

After all, very few people could stay around him for so many days and still be alive.

Even though he wouldn’t admit it, Kakuzu had already acknowledged Kimimaro’s presence.

Splitting up so suddenly wasn’t easy for him.

Though reluctant, admitting it out loud would be odd.

It would seem as if he was eager to keep Kimimaro around just so he could kill him.

“Didn’t expect Kakuzu-senpai hasn’t given up on killing me yet.”

Kimimaro quipped.

“I still remember you said you’d handle my affairs after death, but before that, I want to host your funeral.”

Kakuzu’s bloodlust hadn’t waned, and Kimimaro stepped forward, patting Hidan on the shoulder. “Hidan-san, you’d better watch out. Hopefully, we’ll see you alive next time.”

After a brief farewell, Kimimaro and Konan left.

“Thank you, Konan-senpai.”

Along the way, Kimimaro expressed his gratitude.

“There’s no need. Someday, I might have a favor to ask of you; then you can repay me properly.”

(End of Chapter)

*Chapter 187: The Most Tragic Victim of Attribute Restraints*

"Konan-senpai, even if Sasori is busy refining his puppets, isn’t it a bit too rushed to assign me a new teammate? He doesn’t seem to understand art at all," Deidara said, looking displeased at Kimimaro, his soon-to-be teammate.

They were supposed to be the Art Duo; adding someone who didn’t appreciate art would ruin their dynamic.

"This is Pain's order. You two need to complete a mission together. Sasori isn’t available, and Kimimaro is the best choice."

"Alright, but just this once. I still prefer teaming up with Sasori. Even though I don’t fully agree with his artistic views, at least we’re the same kind of people."

Since it was Pain’s decision, Deidara reluctantly accepted.

Kimimaro, on the other hand, was studying Deidara.

They were around the same age. Before Kimimaro joined the Akatsuki, Deidara was the youngest core member.

Seeing Deidara agree, Konan left. Task assignment wasn’t her responsibility; Nagato would brief them later.

"Kimimaro, right? I remember you were teamed with Kakuzu. Why were you suddenly assigned to me?" Deidara asked curiously.

"The organization recruited a new member who is a better match for Kakuzu-senpai, so I was freed up."

"Oh? So, you’re just what’s left over, huh? Did Itachi really bring in someone this lousy?" Deidara taunted.

Anything related to Itachi irked Deidara.

After all, he had been humiliated by Itachi once and became obsessed with him ever since. His left-eye training was specifically aimed at countering the Sharingan.

From the moment he first saw Kimimaro, Deidara didn’t like him.

Noticing Deidara's attitude, Kimimaro smirked.

"Deidara-senpai, I heard your art is all about explosions. Mind showing me?"

"Show you? I’m afraid all you’ll do is scream. There aren’t many who survive my art."

"Let’s see."

"Interesting. I’d like to see what Itachi’s recruits are capable of. But before we fight, did Itachi use genjutsu on you when he recruited you?"

"He did. But it didn’t work."

"It didn’t work?" Deidara’s eyes widened. Could Kimimaro resist Itachi’s genjutsu?

"Then how did he beat you?"

"What makes you think he beat me? It was a draw, actually. But I heard you fell into Itachi’s genjutsu and almost self-destructed. Is that true?"

Deidara’s composure cracked at those words.

"That was in the past! If I fought him now, I’d definitely win!"

"Really? I don’t believe it."

It was the kind of comment that could make anyone’s blood pressure spike.

At least for Deidara, it certainly did.

"You brat, I’ll kill you!"

Deidara shoved his right hand into his pouch, feeding his clay to the mouths on his palms, and spat out clay birds.

"Go!"

The clay birds shot from Deidara’s hand, flying rapidly toward Kimimaro.

"Art is an explosion! Hah!"

Deidara snapped his right hand’s fingers together, and the clay birds detonated in front of Kimimaro!

Smoke and dust billowed!

"Tch, I thought you’d be tougher, but you couldn’t even withstand one attack," Deidara said, only to see when the smoke cleared that Kimimaro was unscathed, protected by a golden, circular barrier.

Bakudō #39: Enkosen!

"What kind of jutsu is this? It’s so fast and blocked my explosive clay," Deidara exclaimed in surprise.

"Is that all your art amounts to?" Kimimaro replied as the Enkosen vanished.

Facing a ninja like Deidara, Kimimaro’s strategy was simple: beat him up and then win him over.

Deidara was still a hotheaded youth, not overly cunning. As long as Kimimaro won the fight, everything else would be easy.

"Don’t get cocky just because you have some tricks up your sleeve. Now, I’m getting serious."

Both of Deidara’s hands dove into his pouches, his palm-mouths devouring clay and quickly molding more explosives.

Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh!

Deidara hurled explosive clay at high speed toward Kimimaro.

This time, Kimimaro didn’t move, but the Pikachu on his shoulder was eager to act.

"Little guy, go ahead. Show off what you’ve been training for," Kimimaro said.

"Pika!"

With Kimimaro’s command, Pikachu leaped into action!

Its small hands grasped the handles of the Lightning Blades, and it unsheathed both swords!

Clang!

Pikachu wielded the swords with precision.

Starburst Stream!

In a flash of lightning, Pikachu swung its twin blades with incredible speed.

Sixteen consecutive slashes!

Each slash struck an explosive clay bomb, rendering them duds upon contact with the electrified blades.

Lightning counters earth!

In the entire ninja world, no one suffered more from chakra attribute disadvantages than Deidara.

He was the only ninja who consistently lost due to attribute restraints—truly tragic.

In mere moments, Pikachu’s lightning-charged blades were inches from Deidara’s face.

"What the—!"

Deidara jumped back in alarm, tossing a large white clay bird behind him.

He took to the skies on his bird, dodging Pikachu’s attacks.

"This rodent-like creature can use Lightning Release? And those blades aren’t ordinary either. Damn, being countered by such a small summon," Deidara said, his face twisted in frustration. He never expected that the odd-looking creature on Kimimaro’s shoulder could wield such powerful Lightning Release.

His explosive clay was almost entirely countered.

"Pika!"

Seeing Deidara retreat out of range, Pikachu pouted in frustration.

"Hah, little thing, why don’t you come up here if you’re so tough!" Deidara taunted, noticing Pikachu’s annoyance at being unable to reach him.

"Go ahead, little one. Show Deidara-senpai some love. Thunderbolt!" Kimimaro instructed.

Of course, he had to meet Deidara’s challenge.

"Pika-Pikachu!"

Following Kimimaro’s command, Pikachu unleashed a bolt of golden lightning.

"What—!"

Deidara was shocked as the lightning approached at incredible speed.

Could Lightning Release really have such a long range?

In the nick of time, Deidara leapt off his clay bird, narrowly avoiding the attack.

Boom!

The clay bird plummeted from the sky, struck down by the golden lightning.

(End of Chapter)

*Chapter 188: The Art of Explosion*

"Damn it, if this keeps up, I’m definitely going to lose."

Deidara was both shocked and helpless at the power of Pikachu's Lightning Release.

Lightning Release was a major counter to his explosive clay.

Whenever he faced a master of Lightning Release, his strength could only reach about seventy percent, sometimes even less.

He had long noticed this issue, but overcoming it was extremely difficult.

"Deidara-senpai, are you alright?"

Watching Deidara land steadily, Kimimaro asked with feigned concern.

"How did you know how to counter my explosive clay?"

"It's called explosive clay, so it must be an Earth Release technique. It's not going to be Lightning, Wind, Water, or Fire, right? And everyone knows Lightning Release counters Earth Release—even academy students know that, Deidara-senpai."

Deidara was momentarily speechless. That made sense.

"Lightning Release counters Earth Release, huh? I refuse to believe that your summoned beast’s Lightning Release can completely counter all of my explosive clay!"

While speaking, Deidara sculpted another clay bird and sent it soaring into the sky.

This time, it flew higher than Pikachu’s attack range.

"Higher, huh? Looks like you’re planning a big move. If that’s the case, little guy, come back for now. You’ve done great already."

At the command, Pikachu sheathed its twin blades and jumped onto Kimimaro’s shoulder.

The twin-blade training session was over.

"Kimimaro, you can’t expect to beat me with just one summoned beast! Try this and see if your Shikotsumyaku can leave a complete corpse after the explosion! Hahaha!"

Deidara was genuinely angry now.

It wasn’t surprising—he was being countered at every turn, and it was driving him crazy.

His right hand reached into his ninja pouch, and his palm mouth quickly devoured some explosive clay, spitting out a humanoid figure.

"This is a puppet infused with my highest-grade chakra. I call it C3 Number 18! Regret in the face of my art!"

The puppet flew from Deidara’s hand and rapidly descended.

As it fell, the puppet, initially the size of a person, quickly expanded into a massive figure over ten meters tall.

With such a large clay puppet, ordinary Lightning Release couldn’t neutralize it instantly—it would only diminish its power somewhat.

Even after being weakened, the C3’s explosive power was still terrifying.

In terms of sheer destructive force, Deidara’s explosive clay was at least in the top three within the Akatsuki organization.

As soon as the puppet appeared, Kimimaro extended his right hand and aimed at it, chanting softly:

"Scatter the bones of beasts everywhere, spire! Crimson crystal! The steel wheels! The moving wind, the still heavens! The clash of spears resounds through the hollow city!

Hado Number 63: Raikoho!"

A golden flash of lightning shot from Kimimaro’s palm in an instant.

Boom!

The sound of thunder!

"Now!"

Deidara shouted, trying to detonate the puppet, but it was already too late.

The golden lightning pierced through the enlarged C3 puppet instantly.

Lightning energy spread, filling every corner of the puppet.

In that moment, the gigantic puppet became a dud.

And more than that, the explosive effect of Raikoho blasted the clay puppet apart.

The bomber had been bombed!

Boom!

Fragments of explosive clay scattered, like the shattered pieces of Deidara's heart.

His mind was in shambles.

"No, no way. His Lightning Release spread through the entire C3 in an instant?"

Still in shock, Deidara noticed that Kimimaro had somehow already soared into the sky.

"Deidara-senpai, my explosions are pretty artistic too."

Before Deidara could react, Kimimaro tossed two round objects from his right hand.

Full-strength throw!

From the same hand, but thrown in different directions.

One went into the clay bird’s mouth; the other landed beside Deidara.

At that moment, Deidara saw what they were.

They were purple insects, adorned with beautiful patterns resembling a galaxy.

Starburst Bugs!

Enhanced through the nourishment of Star Chakra, the Starburst Bugs had evolved again.

Both their power and reproductive capacity had greatly improved.

"Explode!"

With Kimimaro’s low command, the Starburst Bugs detonated instantly!

"Damn!"

Deidara shouted, realizing the danger, but it was too late.

With two loud blasts, the two Starburst Bugs Kimimaro had thrown exploded simultaneously.

The clay bird shattered into pieces, and although Deidara avoided most of the explosion, losing his foothold caused him to fall from the sky.

"Was that too much?"

Kimimaro muttered quietly, though he showed no sign of guilt.

Deidara hadn’t developed C4 Karura yet, making him one of the easier members of the Akatsuki to deal with.

Of course, that is, as long as you knew Lightning Release and didn’t push him into a self-destruct.

With those conditions met, Kimimaro found it easy to handle Deidara.

Given time, even Pikachu could grow strong enough to take Deidara on solo.

Kakashi once said that a Jonin should at least master two types of chakra nature transformations.

The reason was simple—situations like Deidara’s, where one would be completely countered.

With two chakra types, you could at least avoid being totally outmatched.

Kimimaro moved swiftly, appearing before Deidara in the blink of an eye.

At this moment, Deidara looked disheveled from the Starburst Bug explosion, his Akatsuki cloak half-destroyed, his face stained with dust.

Fortunately, he wasn’t hurt—just caught in the blast.

"Deidara-senpai, how do you like my explosive art?"

"What was that technique you just used?"

Far from being angry about the Starburst Bugs, Deidara was actually intrigued.

Explosion!

It was an explosion!

Someone else was studying explosive arts just like him!

This was a true kindred spirit.

Seeing that Deidara was hooked, Kimimaro immediately pulled out the Starburst Bugs.

"These are Starburst Bugs. Just inject them with chakra and throw them, and they can unleash an explosive force comparable to explosive tags.

The most amazing thing is that they’re alive, able to lock onto targets automatically. When multiple gather, their power compounds. If thousands of them gathered in one place, they could destroy an entire village."

Kimimaro spoke as if presenting his most prized artwork, an attitude that earned Deidara’s approval.

This was the proper attitude of someone who pursued art.

"They explode upon chakra injection and can stack? They’re quite similar to my explosive clay."

"Oh, there’s a big difference. My Starburst Bugs aren’t afraid of Lightning Release. When they want to explode, they explode—nothing can stop them!"

This statement left Deidara embarrassed, making him realize that his explosive art seemed inferior to Kimimaro’s.

No!

He would never allow such a thing!

(End of Chapter)

*Chapter 189: Deception and Recognition*

Deidara had no idea that Kimimaro's explosive bugs were far more complex than simply throwing them like grenades.

This was their first meeting, so Kimimaro wasn’t going to reveal all the features of his Starburst Bugs to Deidara.

The way he just used them was only the most basic application.

Even so, it was still impressive.

The bugs autonomously locked onto their targets and then exploded, acting like homing missiles.

Their most terrifying function, however, was the ability to enter an enemy’s chakra pathways, consume the chakra, and then detonate.

This internal detonation method was strikingly similar to the C4 Garuda that Deidara would develop later.

However, in terms of stealth, they still couldn’t match the Garuda.

This was precisely why Kimimaro sought out Deidara.

The Starburst Bugs needed to evolve further to increase their power, and Deidara’s Explosion Release chakra was the best material for their evolution.

As long as Kimimaro could obtain Deidara's Explosion Release chakra to feed the Starburst Bugs, the evolution could begin.

This matter, of course, needed careful negotiation with Deidara.

Though capturing Deidara and directly feeding him to the bugs was an option, it might provoke him into a self-destruct, and that would ruin the evolution process.

If he used Lightning Release to restrain Deidara, his Explosion Release chakra wouldn’t activate, making it impossible to absorb.

Thus, the best approach was for Deidara to willingly feed the Starburst Bugs.

To make Deidara his tool, Kimimaro needed to thoroughly deceive him.

By the end of it, Deidara would even thank him.

“It seems my art surpasses yours, Deidara-senpai.”

Kimimaro's face showed just the right amount of regret.

“I…”

Deidara didn’t know how to respond.

From the looks of it, while the power of the Starburst Bugs might not exceed his Explosive Clay, the fact that they weren’t weak to Lightning Release was a huge advantage.

After all, there were plenty of Lightning Release experts in the shinobi world, especially in the Hidden Cloud Village, which produced them in droves.

Deidara was quite vulnerable to being countered.

He might dare to challenge the Hidden Sand Village alone, but he would never provoke the Hidden Cloud Village by himself.

“One day, I’ll develop Explosive Clay that’s immune to Lightning Release too!”

Deidara said passionately.

He was still young, and his path as a powerful shinobi was just beginning.

Creating Lightning-resistant Explosive Clay wasn’t impossible.

But it would take time.

Until that day came, he would be a ninja with a glaring weakness, easy to counter.

“I believe with your skills, Deidara-senpai, developing such Explosive Clay won’t be difficult. However, I have a way that might help you quickly overcome this problem. Would you like to try it?”

Kimimaro spoke like a devil whispering in his ear, instantly reigniting Deidara’s spirit.

“You have a way? What could you possibly offer?”

Deidara was skeptical.

“The method lies within the Starburst Bugs.”

“These little bugs?”

Deidara looked at the Starburst Bugs in Kimimaro’s hand.

Hmm, they were pretty and powerful.

But how could they help with his weakness?

Unless…

“You’re not suggesting I give up my Explosive Clay and switch to using these bugs, are you? I’ll never accept that—it’s an insult to my art!”

Deidara rejected the idea furiously, like a cat whose tail had been stepped on.

“Senpai, you misunderstand. This is my art; I would never hand it over to anyone. The Starburst Bugs can consume chakra and also release it back.

So, my idea is to merge your chakra with the Starburst Bugs.

This will significantly reduce the earth chakra component in your Explosive Clay and replace it with the bugs’ chakra.

If the fusion goes well, you’ll be able to inject this new chakra into your Explosive Clay, enhancing your explosive art.

This would make your Explosive Clay far less susceptible to Lightning Release—perhaps only a tenth as effective, or even less.”

The more Deidara listened, the brighter his eyes became.

It was a great idea.

It didn’t change the form of his art but optimized his chakra.

This way, his weaknesses would be largely mitigated.

Could there really be such a good deal?

Deidara hesitated, his eyes showing a hint of caution.

They had just met—why was Kimimaro helping him?

“What’s in it for you? Why are you helping me?”

“Because I admire your art, Deidara-senpai. It’s a pursuit of art that mirrors my own. People like us should support each other so more can appreciate the fleeting beauty of explosive art!”

Kimimaro’s eyes shone with a fitting intensity as he spoke of art.

Seeing this, Deidara’s expression changed.

His wariness turned into recognition.

The code words were correct!

“I never expected to find someone else who truly understands art! Kimimaro, you’re like my brother from another mother!”

Deidara was overjoyed.

A true kindred spirit!

Especially someone who shared his artistic philosophy—an incredible rarity.

“Deidara-senpai, let’s study the art of explosions together!”

Kimimaro added one final push.

“Alright! Let’s do it! From now on, we’re the Blast Duo! Our art will rock the entire shinobi world!”

“Exactly!”

The two stared into each other’s eyes, filled with mutual admiration.

At this moment, Deidara saw Kimimaro as his confidant, his partner.

As for Sasori—sorry, not that close.

“Deidara-senpai, I’m sorry about earlier. Let me heal your wounds.”

“Brother, you know medical ninjutsu?”

“A bit. I only learned it for the sake of art; otherwise, I wouldn’t have thought of merging chakra with the Starburst Bugs.”

Kimimaro said, performing the Mystical Palm Technique to heal Deidara.

The minor wounds quickly healed.

“You’ve got skills, brother. So when can we start on that method you mentioned?”

Seeing Kimimaro’s healing ability, Deidara was more convinced about the chakra fusion plan.

“If you’re eager, we can start right now. It’s a slow process, though—not something done in a day or two. We can at least try once today.”

“Great! Let’s start now!”

Deidara was eager.

Kimimaro naturally had no objections, and soon, hundreds of Starburst Bugs flew from his sleeves.

“Alright then, let’s begin. Deidara-senpai, focus your chakra and channel it into the Starburst Bugs. They’ll absorb and merge with it, then return it to you.

However, there’s about a ten-to-one loss rate, so it’ll take at least ten rounds to see results.”

(Chapter End)

*Chapter 190: Good Brothers*

"Alright, no problem!"

Deidara now completely trusted Kimimaro and did exactly as he suggested.

Someone who shares the same artistic views as him couldn’t possibly have any bad intentions, right?

In fact, Kimimaro had no plans to harm Deidara.

The method he proposed was theoretically feasible because the Star Split Worms had evolved to possess such characteristics.

This ability wasn’t particularly useful to Kimimaro, but it was extremely valuable to Deidara.

He had already lured Deidara over as a tool, so giving him some benefits wasn’t an issue.

Of course, the most important thing was that Deidara, having merged with the Star Split Worms' chakra, posed no threat to him whatsoever.

This was because the Star Split Worms could completely counter the chakra Deidara gained from the fusion.

When making deals, Kimimaro never shortchanged himself.

Moreover, for Deidara, being countered by one person was far better than being countered by a bunch of Lightning-Style ninjas.

Hundreds of Star Split Worms surrounded Deidara, slowly devouring the chakra he released.

“I didn’t expect Deidara to have so much chakra. Looks like I can increase the intensity.”

Kimimaro thought to himself as he released several hundred more Star Split Worms.

In no time, Deidara was covered with purple Star Split Worms, looking as if he was wearing purple armor.

Deidara could feel his chakra being rapidly devoured.

At the same time, a new kind of chakra was returning to his body.

This chakra was very similar to his original chakra but was much more volatile.

For a regular ninja, this would be a bad thing, but for Deidara, it was undoubtedly a good thing.

This would enhance the power of his explosive clay.

“It actually works! This is great! The only issue is that the loss rate is a bit high—only one-tenth of the chakra returns. But that’s okay. After the chakra recovers, the amount is the same as before, although it does dilute the explosiveness of the fusion.”

“No wonder Kimimaro said it would take about ten sessions to complete the entire transformation. He really calculated it accurately.”

Deidara was thrilled.

Little did he know, the high loss rate was because the remaining ninety percent of the chakra was being absorbed by the Star Split Worms for their own evolution.

After about half an hour, this round of fusion finally ended.

Thousands of Star Split Worms, having finished their work, fell to the ground, looking weak and exhausted.

In reality, they were just full and sleepy, falling asleep right then and there.

“Bro, what happened to these bugs?”

Deidara asked, puzzled.

Kimimaro feigned a look of distress and said, “This method of absorbing chakra and then returning it is extremely taxing on them, and it shortens their lifespan. That’s why they’re so tired and fainting right now.

“I’ll work to get them back on their feet quickly, and then we’ll continue helping you transform your chakra.”

Having experienced the benefits of chakra fusion, Deidara had no doubts about Kimimaro’s words.

Seeing how much Kimimaro was sacrificing to help him, Deidara felt quite guilty.

“Thanks, bro. I didn’t expect you to be so kind. I’m really ashamed of how I treated you before.”

“Deidara-senpai, there’s no need to be so formal. We both pursue the same artistic ideals, so we should help each other out. These are just a few Star Split Worms. If they die, they die; I can breed more of them in no time. It’s no big deal.

“As for our earlier fight, I just wanted to confirm your art, so I was a bit abrupt.”

Kimimaro spoke casually, but Deidara could still see the pain he tried hard to suppress on his face.

Deidara was deeply moved.

He knew that Kimimaro must have been very attached to those Star Split Worms.

After all, they were his works of art.

And in this situation, Kimimaro was still willing to use the Star Split Worms to help him. What a great brother!

“Good brother! No need for words. From now on, your problems are my problems. If you need anything, just say the word, and I’ll support you without hesitation!”

Deidara patted Kimimaro’s shoulder, sincerity written all over his face.

“Thank you, Deidara-senpai.”

Seeing Deidara being so good to him, Kimimaro felt a bit guilty.

Was he overdoing the manipulation?

It seemed like Deidara’s fondness for him was maxed out.

Well, maxing it out wasn’t a problem. It would make things easier in the future.

With that, Deidara began recovering his depleted chakra, while Kimimaro started gathering the sleeping Star Split Worms.

The patterns on the Star Split Worms’ bodies had changed once again—small, but not escaping his keen eyes.

“It seems my hypothesis was correct; Deidara’s chakra is indeed excellent material for the Star Split Worms' evolution.

“In the next ten days, I’ll have the Star Split Worms consume Deidara’s chakra, then feed them with my own.

“This should enable the Star Split Worms to complete their transformation. I can’t wait to see their evolved numbers and power.”

Once the Star Split Worms completed their evolution, another of Kimimaro’s objectives for joining the Akatsuki would be achieved.

In the following days, Deidara and the Star Split Worms continued their chakra fusion, and the results only improved.

Five days later, Pikachu’s thunder was no longer fully countering Deidara’s explosive clay.

This made Deidara very pleased.

He and Kimimaro became more familiar with each other, discussing the art of explosions whenever they had free time.

For Kimimaro, who had the Star Split Worms, this was no challenge, so their conversations were always engaging.

Deidara even felt like he had found a kindred spirit in Kimimaro.

What he didn’t realize was that if someone makes you feel comfortable in every conversation, it’s likely because their intellect and emotional intelligence far exceed yours.

“Bro, you joined Akatsuki way too late! If we’d teamed up earlier, our art might have already been world-famous by now.

“These few days of talking with you have been so rewarding. It won’t be long before I can create even better explosive art!”

Deidara was bursting with inspiration.

“I heard your partner Sasori also has a passion for art. What’s his art like?”

Kimimaro subtly probed, eager to learn more about Sasori.

“Sasori’s art is different from ours. He seeks eternal art. I just can’t get behind that. He even turned himself into a puppet for it.”

Deidara showed a bit of disdain when talking about Sasori’s art.

Still, he had great respect for Sasori.

But now, with Kimimaro around, he felt he had found a better partner.

“Bro, I have a proposal. Even if Sasori returns, don’t leave our team. If it doesn’t work, I’ll ask the boss to put us on the same team. That way, we can keep exploring our art together.”

(End of Chapter)

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